Lunchtime
by Saadia Mirage
Summary: Haruhi is absent at lunchtime and Tamaki lets his imagination run wild. Oneshot. TamaXHaru Sorta prequel to Courtship.


Lunchtime

An Ouran High School Host Club fan-fiction

By: Saadia PG

Comedy/Romance

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or any of it's characters. They belong to the original mangaka Bisco Hatori and Studio Bones. This is a fan story, for amusement purposes only.

----

Tamaki Suou scanned the cafeteria casually. He stood in the doorway for a moment, framed by the ornate pillars and afternoon sunlight from the garden window behind him, looking every bit the King of the Host Club. After sparkling impressively for a while, he sauntered into the seating area, politely answering those who called his name.

"Good afternoon Tamaki-senpai!"

"How are you today, Tamaki-kun?"

"Looking good today, Tamaki-senpai!"

It was indeed a very good afternoon, he was fabulous thank you, and "not as good as you milady." The last was a bit of a fabrication - he was in fact quite better looking than she was - but as a warrior for women's hearts he would never say as much.

He headed towards the table where the twins Hikaru and Kaoru were feeding each other suggestively, much to the amusement of a gaggle of female onlookers.

Kyouya was there was well, looking a bit angry.

As Tamaki approached, he caught a bit of their conversation.

"You're providing services for free!" Kyouya berated.

"We're just doing a little advertising!" The twins answered, in unison.

The girls giggled.

"Hello gentlemen and ladies," Tamaki interrupted, leaning down and putting a hand on the table. The girls twittered a bit at his arrival. "Have you happened to have seen Haruhi around?"

"Haven't seen him." Kyouya answered, adjusting his glasses and going back to his notebook, possibly calculating the use of "advertising" into the club budget. "Maybe he is with Mori and Hunny in the garden?"

Tamaki was a bit crest-fallen. "No, I checked. What about you two?" He said, turning to the twins, "Have you seen him? He's in your class."

Hikaru and Kaoru shrugged, mirror images, except one holding a spoon and the other a fork. "Haruhi wasn't in class today. Maybe he's skipping?"

"Haruhi-kun isn't like you two," Kyoya sighed.

"Not at lunch, not in class... " Tamaki mumbled, thoughtfully. Suddenly he stood up straight, a look of pure horror on his face. "You... You don't think..."

"What? What's the matter now?" Kyouya asked, though he didn't seem genuinely concerned.

"You don't think that... Haruhi transferred schools without telling us!" Tamaki shouted, tears threatening to fall at any moment simply at the thought.

The girls seemed entranced by this performance. It was like a soap opera. With less women.

"Why would he do that? He got a scholarship to go here. Plus, he still has that debt to pay." Kyouya said simply. "I'm going to get lunch. Save my seat, will you?"

"How can you eat at a time like this!" Tamaki howled after him. Shortly after, he slumped into his seat dejectedly. "H-Haruhi... how could you...?"

"He probably couldn't stand to look at your smug face anymore." Hikaru said bluntly.

Tamaki, who was face down in a puddle of his own tears at this point, flinched visably.

"Oi Hikaru, that's a little harsh, don't you think?" Kaoru chided, poking his brother in the cheek.

Tamaki looked up hopefully.

"He probably just got sick of him following him and freaking out all the time."

Tamaki slid down his seat so only his arms were on the table, twitching.

Kyouya was back with his tray. "Hey, get out of my seat."

"You... you're all completely heartless!" Tamaki groaned.

"Yes, we know. Please move, I'd like to sit down."

Tamaki slid out of the seat under the table then shot up on the other side. "Maybe he was kidnapped!"

Hikaru and Kaoru raised an eyebrow each. "Why would anyone kidnap Haruhi?" Kaoru reasoned, "Not for ransom. His parents are broke."

Tamaki was staring up at the ceiling in terror. "What if they're perverts...? right now they could be doing horrible things to his delicate body!"

"Maybe you're the pervert, thinking something like that up." Hikaru supplied.

Tamaki pointed at him accusingly. "Heartless! All of you!"

"Ma-maybe Haruhi-kun is out sick." One of the girls suggested bravely.

Tamaki turned to her slowly. "Oh my god... Of course. Here we are, coming up with these crazy, far-fetched situations--"

"We? You're the one who--" Kyouya started.

"--While Haruhi is all alone and DYING!"

"Who's dying?"

Tamaki turned around at the familiar voice. Haruhi stood there in her usual boys' school uniform, holding her carefully wrapped bento at her side and looking extremely confused.

"Ha-Haruhi! You're alive!" He shouted, launching himself at her.

Unfortunately, Hikaru had stuck out one of his legs, sending the blond boy face first into the floor.

"Ah! Tamaki-senpai!"

Haruhi helped him up. He clutched at her arm, sobbing. "Th-thank goodness! You're not hurt or violated or angry with me?"

"What? Violated?" She asked, rather disgusted. She turned to Hikaru and Kaoru. "What have you guys been telling him?"

They were grinning widely. "We didn't say anything. He came up with it all on his own." They answered.

Haruhi frowned, shifting her weight to accommodate the clinging Tamaki. "But you didn't tell him I was at the dentist?"

"D-dentist?" Tamaki said looking up and blinking slowly.

"Yeah, I had an appointment today," She explained, "I had to miss morning classes. I told them yesterday to tell anyone who asked..."

Tamaki turned a murderous look on the twins.

They laughed heartily, completely unfazed.

"Dentistry can be rather torturous." Kyouya said, trying not to smile.

Haruhi sighed, patting Tamaki on the back reassuringly. "It wasn't much fun, but I certainly wasn't dying."

At the semi-affectionate gesture, Tamaki had defused somewhat. "Haruhi... I was so worried!" He said tearfully.

"Thank you for worrying about me, senpai, but as you can see I'm really all right." She said, smiling sunnily.

He hugged her desprately. "Never leave my sight again!"

"H-hey... You don't have to go that far." She wrestled out of his grasp. "I'm going to go eat in the classroom. See you guys at the club later."

Tamaki watched her go for a few seconds, before dashing after her. "W-wait! I'll come with you!"

Hikaru and Kaoru gave each other a congratulatory thumbs up. The crowd of girls clapped happily. Kyouya continued to write busily in his ledger.

Just a typical day at Ouran High School.

---

"Haruhi, this lunch is... delicious."

"It's just left overs..."

"But it's flavored with your love!"

"If you say so, senpai. But can't you afford to get your own lunch?"

"I wanted to taste Haruhi's lovely bento!"

"...You're buying me lunch tomorrow."

"S-sure!"

---

The End?


End file.
